Players, Please Board the Train

”What about you? Any findings?” The man beside her interrupted her and asked.

The young man’s mouth twitched. ”I went to an aromatherapy shop yesterday. I don’t know what happened, but when I woke up early this morning, the two guys who robbed me had mysteriously disappeared. I was so scared I ran out immediately.”

The long-haired female player and the large man didn’t fare much better. ”The place we stayed at yesterday was called Violet Restaurant. The shop itself wasn’t problematic, but most of the guests staying there were cannibals. Once night fell...”

She didn’t finish the sentence, but just from that complicated expression, one could imagine what kind of horrific situation a shop full of cannibalistic diners would be.

”What kind of damned place is this!” the woman with facial injuries pounded the table.

”This Fairy Tale City is too strange,” the long-haired female player said. ”Whether locals or tourists, everyone here loves telling stories. You can’t walk ten meters without three or four people approaching you to sell inside information, all of it horrifying content. After listening, you only get one feeling...”

”There isn’t a single safe place in this entire city.” Someone suddenly spoke up from behind them. They turned to see a young woman wearing a backpack.

The backpack woman walked over and said openly, ”I’m a player too. We probably came for the same dungeon.”

”I arrived earlier than you all—I got here at noon. There were two other male players with me, but they’ve gone missing.”

”Were those two men one with short hair and one with an eyebrow piercing?” the long-haired female player asked.The backpack woman nodded.

”They’ve already disappeared,” the young man quickly added. ”At Beauty Aromatherapy Shop.”

”So that’s what happened,” the backpack woman wasn’t surprised. She sat down beside them. ”After yesterday, you should have a preliminary understanding of this Fairy Tale City. Everyone here can casually tell ten or twenty stories, but I suspect the story we need to hear might only be one. If we operate separately, it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack. I propose we team up.”

The others exchanged glances. The long-haired female player nodded. ”I have no objections.”

The other three also nodded.

”Let me introduce myself first. I’m Tao Chengxin, E-grade Black Player,” the backpack woman said.

”Sun Jirou, also an E-grade player,” the long-haired female player shook her hand, then introduced the large man beside her: ”This is Shen Tai, my friend, also an E-grade player.”

”I’m Tang Yuan. The ’yuan’ meaning second son, not the round circle character,” the young man quickly followed. ”I’m a White Player.”

The couple beside him glanced at him, then said: ”Wang Qiao, Gao Baimei.”

These two were also E-grade players.

”If the two people who came in the same car as me are missing, then that leaves just the six of us,” Tao Chengxin said.

”There’s one more,” Sun Jirou said. ”A male player. Several people including Tang Yuan have seen him.”

”Right, wasn’t he taken away with you?” Wang Qiao turned back to ask Tang Yuan.

Tang Yuan shook his head. ”I’m not sure either. Yesterday he entered Bear Claw Restaurant and never came out.”

”Bear Claw Restaurant?” Sun Jirou paused. ”Bear Claw Restaurant and Beauty Aromatherapy Shop were the places that old woman on the bus pointed out to him.”

After Tao Chengxin pressed for details about what happened, she said: ”Then he was probably tricked. The locals in Fairy Tale City aren’t very honest.”

Gao Baimei snorted disdainfully. ”The diners already told him the restaurant serves human flesh, and he actually dared to stay there? What does he think he is, some kind of amazing character? Doesn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth!”

”If he died, he deserved it!”

”Who are you saying deserved it?” Along with the speaking voice, a large bunch of black grapes was thrown onto the table, making everyone at the table jump to their feet. Shen Tai flexed his muscles ready to fight, but when he turned around, he saw Xu Huo walking over carrying a large pile of snacks and fruits.

”It’s you!”

”You’re okay?”

Tao Chengxin and Sun Jirou spoke simultaneously, then looked at each other. The latter asked: ”You’ve met him before?”

”Ran into him,” Tao Chengxin briefly mentioned that she and Xu Huo had met outside Yongxing Club that morning.

Xu Huo came to stand beside them, first glancing at the young man called Tang Yuan. ”Got beaten up pretty badly, huh. Those two are dead, right?”

This sudden statement made the other players immediately wary.

Tang Yuan stared at them. ”You don’t think I killed those two, do you? They were so strong—how could I possibly be a match for them?”

Just looking at his narration alone, it seemed reasonable. After all, everyone present felt this city was abnormal—what did one or two people disappearing from lodging matter? But if you omitted the process and only looked at the result, this matter became rather intriguing. Why did those two seemingly more powerful players disappear, while Tang Yuan remained unharmed?

”Playing the pig to eat the tiger,” Gao Baimei said coldly.

Just as Tang Yuan was about to defend himself, Xu Huo interrupted him: ”I never said he killed anyone. Why are you all so excited? How about having some fruit instead?”

Tao Chengxin glanced at him. ”Do you even know what they use to grow the fruit here before you dare eat it?”

”Definitely not human,” Xu Huo said casually as he sat down.

”How do you know?” Sun Jirou examined him.

”By asking,” Xu Huo said as if it were obvious. ”What do you have a mouth for?”

Sun Jirou was left speechless. ”You believe whatever they tell you? That old woman who gave you discount coupons on the bus yesterday was clearly setting you up to die.”

”How could that be?” Xu Huo waved his hand dismissively. ”The local customs here are simple and pure, the people are hospitable. Why would they want to harm anyone?”

”Simple and pure local customs? Hospitable?” Sun Jirou wondered if she had heard correctly.

”Absolutely,” Xu Huo peeled a black grape the size of a baby’s fist as he spoke. ”As long as you buy something, they’ll answer any question. They’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

”You dare believe what they say?” Wang Qiao and Gao Baimei, who had been too scared to stay anywhere last night, had discovered that even the city’s cats and dogs weren’t normal. If cats and dogs were this ferocious, it was hard to imagine what those people who smiled so warmly during the day would look like at night!

”If you don’t believe it, then why are you so afraid?” Xu Huo looked at them in surprise.

The two were left speechless.

Then Sun Jirou said coldly: ”In that case, where did you stay last night?”

”Why should I tell you?” Xu Huo retorted, then added: ”Yesterday I invited you to stay together but you refused. Now that you’ve suffered losses, you want to take advantage of me?”

”Everyone, let’s calm down,” Tang Yuan quickly tried to mediate. ”Isn’t the most important thing right now to complete the mission?”

”Right, if you have any clues, why not share them for everyone to reference,” Tao Chengxin said. ”In return, everyone will share the information they’ve learned. If we integrate it all, we might make a breakthrough.”

Xu Huo ate his grapes while scanning the group. ”I do have clues, but is your information valuable?”

Beside him, Sun Jirou frowned. He had said the exact same thing yesterday.